Real Path Utility class for Android, works for all API

RealPathUtil.java

public class RealPathUtil {

    public static String getRealPath(Context context, Uri fileUri) {
        String realPath;
        // SDK < API11
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < 11) {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_BelowAPI11(context, fileUri);
        }
        // SDK >= 11 && SDK < 19
        else if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < 19) {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_API11to18(context, fileUri);
        }
        // SDK > 19 (Android 4.4) and up
        else {
            realPath = RealPathUtil.getRealPathFromURI_API19(context, fileUri);
        }
        return realPath;
    }


    @SuppressLint("NewApi")
    public static String getRealPathFromURI_API11to18(Context context, Uri contentUri) {
        String[] proj = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
        String result = null;

        CursorLoader cursorLoader = new CursorLoader(context, contentUri, proj, null, null, null);
        Cursor cursor = cursorLoader.loadInBackground();

        if (cursor != null) {
            int column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
            cursor.moveToFirst();
            result = cursor.getString(column_index);
            cursor.close();
        }
        return result;
    }

    public static String getRealPathFromURI_BelowAPI11(Context context, Uri contentUri) {
        String[] proj = {MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA};
        Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(contentUri, proj, null, null, null);
        int column_index = 0;
        String result = "";
        if (cursor != null) {
            column_index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Images.Media.DATA);
            cursor.moveToFirst();
            result = cursor.getString(column_index);
            cursor.close();
            return result;
        }
        return result;
    }

    /**
     * Get a file path from a Uri. This will get the the path for Storage Access
     * Framework Documents, as well as the _data field for the MediaStore and
     * other file-based ContentProviders.
     *
     * @param context The context.
     * @param uri     The Uri to query.
     * @author paulburke
     */
    @SuppressLint("NewApi")
    public static String getRealPathFromURI_API19(final Context context, final Uri uri) {

        final boolean isKitKat = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT;

        // DocumentProvider
        if (isKitKat && DocumentsContract.isDocumentUri(context, uri)) {
            // ExternalStorageProvider
            if (isExternalStorageDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                if ("primary".equalsIgnoreCase(type)) {
                    return Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + split[1];
                }

                // TODO handle non-primary volumes
            }
            // DownloadsProvider
            else if (isDownloadsDocument(uri)) {

                final String id = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final Uri contentUri = ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                        Uri.parse("content://downloads/public_downloads"), Long.valueOf(id));

                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, null, null);
            }
            // MediaProvider
            else if (isMediaDocument(uri)) {
                final String docId = DocumentsContract.getDocumentId(uri);
                final String[] split = docId.split(":");
                final String type = split[0];

                Uri contentUri = null;
                if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                }

                final String selection = "_id=?";
                final String[] selectionArgs = new String[]{
                        split[1]
                };

                return getDataColumn(context, contentUri, selection, selectionArgs);
            }
        }
        // MediaStore (and general)
        else if ("content".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {

            // Return the remote address
            if (isGooglePhotosUri(uri))
                return uri.getLastPathSegment();

            return getDataColumn(context, uri, null, null);
        }
        // File
        else if ("file".equalsIgnoreCase(uri.getScheme())) {
            return uri.getPath();
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * Get the value of the data column for this Uri. This is useful for
     * MediaStore Uris, and other file-based ContentProviders.
     *
     * @param context       The context.
     * @param uri           The Uri to query.
     * @param selection     (Optional) Filter used in the query.
     * @param selectionArgs (Optional) Selection arguments used in the query.
     * @return The value of the _data column, which is typically a file path.
     */
    public static String getDataColumn(Context context, Uri uri, String selection,
                                       String[] selectionArgs) {

        Cursor cursor = null;
        final String column = "_data";
        final String[] projection = {
                column
        };

        try {
            cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(uri, projection, selection, selectionArgs,
                    null);
            if (cursor != null && cursor.moveToFirst()) {
                final int index = cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(column);
                return cursor.getString(index);
            }
        } finally {
            if (cursor != null)
                cursor.close();
        }
        return null;
    }


    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is ExternalStorageProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isExternalStorageDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.externalstorage.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is DownloadsProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isDownloadsDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.downloads.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is MediaProvider.
     */
    public static boolean isMediaDocument(Uri uri) {
        return "com.android.providers.media.documents".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

    /**
     * @param uri The Uri to check.
     * @return Whether the Uri authority is Google Photos.
     */
    public static boolean isGooglePhotosUri(Uri uri) {
        return "com.google.android.apps.photos.content".equals(uri.getAuthority());
    }

}

this fails to work with the uri content://com.android.providers.media.documents/document/document:i232
It hits the media uri code path. but there is no case for "document". I've tried adding this case, but can't find the appropriate path for the cursor. Does anybody know it?

I solved this by adding the else statement at the end of this else if block

       if ("image".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Images.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("video".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Video.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else if ("audio".equals(type)) {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
                } else {
                    contentUri = MediaStore.Files.getContentUri("external");
        }

This catches the case for pdfs and other "document" files.

@joshuatantonflynn Your else part working fine my friend thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot 😁. After 9-10 hour of search I found this code saved my whole time. This is totally working for PDF File without any crash or now I can select pdf or docs file from RECENTS without any crash. In Android 12 ..

Not working with Android 13, tried this but returns empty and not getting any path, wich permissions do you have declared?